Dezi Freeman Shot Dead by Police Following Extensive Manhunt
The shooting took place at a property in north-east Victoria after a prolonged seven-month search for 56-year-old Dezi Freeman, who is alleged to have killed two police officers in Porepunkah.
Fugitive Dezi Freeman, suspected of fatally shooting two officers in Porepunkah, was killed after a lengthy manhunt in rural Victoria.
Victorian police announced on Monday that a man was shot shortly after 8:30 a.m.
“A man has been fatally shot by police at a property in north east Victoria this morning as part of the operation to locate Desmond Freeman,”the statement said.
“No police officers were injured during the incident. The State Coroner will attend the scene and the investigation will be oversighted by Professional Standards Command, as per standard process for a police shooting.”
Authorities are expected to provide further details during a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m.
Wayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association Victoria, confirmed that the individual shot dead on Monday was Dezi Freeman.
“Our members said they would find him. They did,”Gatt said in a statement.
“Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community. It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.”
Background of the Incident and Manhunt
Police had been searching for Dezi Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, since 26 August, when he allegedly shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, and injured a third officer at a property in Porepunkah.
The two officers were part of a group of 10 police personnel, including local officers and members of the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team, who entered the property approximately 300 kilometers north-east of Melbourne in rural Victoria on 26 August to serve a search warrant. Freeman allegedly fired upon them.
Freeman, 56, who has a history of association with pseudolaw or "sovereign citizen" ideology, reportedly fled into the bush while heavily armed, triggering a weeks-long manhunt.
